Snail found in young mum"s dinner at Aberdeen Maternity Unit

‘I found a live snail in my hospital dinner’: New mum, 20, tells of supper horror on maternity wardAngel Crawford was tucking into her dinner at Aberdeen Maternity Unit when she spotted the molluscSnail believed to have made way onto plate via a packet of frozen peas The model and musician has vowed never to eat hospital food again

By
Tara Brady

PUBLISHED:

17:00 GMT, 23 January 2013

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UPDATED:

19:21 GMT, 23 January 2013

A young mother has spoken of her shock at finding a snail in her hospital dinner shortly after giving birth.

Angel Crawford, 20, recoiled in horror after spotting the mollusc while eating her mashed potato at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital.

The model and musician, who was recovering with new baby Aimee, has vowed never to eat hospital food again.

Horror: Angel Crawford was shocked to discover a snail in her food at the maternity unit where she gave birth to daughter Aimee

'At first I didn't even notice it,' she said. 'But then I started eating and after one or two mouthfuls I saw it.

'I stopped and said “that looks like a snail.” I looked closer and I started repeating “oh my god, what is that” and then Gavin my fiance said “It's definitely a snail.”

'It was still alive and I just felt totally sick.'

Ms Crawford, who was already worried about the quality of hospital food before the incident on November 29, admitted the experience has put her off hospital food for life.

She said: 'When you're going through all the emotions after giving birth and then you're worried about your child if she's not doing too well, it's not a good experience to have when you just want to eat.'

Ms Crawford, from Aberdeen, Scotland, contacted Richard Carey, the chief executive of NHS Grampian, to complain about the event and she received an apology on Tuesday.

Sick: The snail was found in Ms Crawford's dinner at Aberdeen Maternity Unit after she gave birth

Mr Carey's letter said he was concerned to hear about the 'upsetting experience' and an investigation revealed the snail had found its way onto the plate via a packet of frozen peas.

He added: 'These peas have been returned to the supplier for them to conduct their own investigations and respond to NHS Grampian.

'On behalf of NHS Grampian, I offer my sincere apologies for the distress this incident must have caused you and would wish to assure you that this is an isolated incident.'

But Ms Crawford has called for the hospital's food standards to improve.

She said: 'They said that I could take a tour of their kitchen to try and change my opinion of them but I don't think it's good enough.

Chief executive Richard Carey wrote to Ms Crawford who found a snail in her hospital food apologising

The snail made its way onto Ms Crawford's plate via frozen peas served at Aberdeen Maternity Unit (pictured)

'I think they need to look into it and make their standards better, not just the supplier that it went through, but also the NHS, the kitchen and then the people actually handing out the meals.

'It goes through quite a lot of hands and so for it to go unnoticed is shocking.

'I just want to prevent this happening to someone else because it's not really something people should have to go through when they're in hospital.'

Ms Crawford, pictured with her daughter Aimee, admitted the experience has put her off hospital food for life

A spokesman for NHS Grampian added: 'This is a supply chain issue and we have taken the matter up with the company.

'More than 3,000 meals a day are cooked for our hospitals, and all our kitchens are subject to regular environmental health inspections.

'Food is bought under a national contract and in this case the peas are cooked in bulk before being plated.

'We were dismayed to learn of the presence of a foreign body in this meal and will share the outcome of the supplier's investigation with Ms Crawford.'